But he didn't leave.
Instead, his hand closed gently but firmly around my wrist. The world around me blurred - the music, the chatter, the clink of glasses - all of it faded as heat shot up my arm.
"Brit," he murmured, leaning in, his breath brushing my ear, "five minutes. That's all I'm asking."
I wanted to shove him away.
I wanted to slap him, scream at him, demand why he thought he could just waltz back into my life -
But I also wanted to know what the hell he had to say.
With a huff, I yanked my arm free and stalked down the hall, pushing open a door that led onto the terrace. Cool night air slapped my face as I stepped outside, my heart hammering.
He followed.
Of course he followed.
The door clicked shut behind him, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.
Finally, I spun around. "What the hell do you want, Ace?"
He ran a hand through his dark hair, exhaling hard. "You."
The word hit me like a punch to the chest.
"Don't." My voice trembled as I lifted a hand. "Don't you dare say that. What about Sierra? Remember her? My cousin. Your girlfriend."
His jaw clenched. "We broke up."
I laughed, bitter and sharp. "Sure you did."
His eyes darkened. "Over a year ago, Brit."
I sucked in a breath. "You-what?"
He took a step closer, hands out as if approaching a wounded animal. "Sierra and I... we were over long before London. But you - you scared the hell out of me."
My chest tightened. "Why?"
"Because I wanted you." His voice cracked, raw and unguarded. "And I knew I'd ruin you."
Tears stung my eyes, fury and heartbreak crashing over me in waves. "You already did."
Ace cursed under his breath, crossing the space between us in two strides. "Brit-"
I shoved at his chest, hard. "No! You don't get to do this. You don't get to come here, to my night, and-"
But the rest of my sentence dissolved as his hands cupped my face and his mouth crashed down onto mine.
It was messy.
Desperate.
Wild.
I gasped, fists pounding weakly against his chest before curling into his shirt, pulling him closer even as I hated myself for it.
He kissed me like a man starved, like he'd been dying of thirst and I was water. His fingers slid into my hair, his body pressed hard against mine, and the world tilted, spun, disappeared.
